Morkel given slap on the wrist in England

Former Proteas seamer Morne Morkel has received an official reprimand from England’s Cricket Discipline Commission.

Known as one of the ‘nicer’ fast bowlers in world cricket, Morkel was reported while playing for Surrey in a County Championship clash against Hampshire last month.

Surrey went on to win the match comfortably by an innings and 58 runs, but umpires Billy Taylor and Neil Mallender reported the 33-year-old after the match.

After the Discipline Commission reviewed the incident in question, it decided that Morkel had shown “dissent at an umpire’s decision by word or action/using language that in the circumstances, is obscene, offensive or insulting.”

The reprimand will not cost Morkel any money, though.

Instead, it will remain on his record for a two-year period with the accumulation of nine or more penalty points resulting in an automatic suspension.

Morkel retired from international cricket at the end of the Australia series back in April after he had become just the fifth South African to take 300 Test wickets.